IBAC inquiry hears developer used fake name to send money to ex-Casey mayor
Ferrari-driving developer John Woodman handed former Casey mayor Geoff Ablett thousands of dollars using a false name, just weeks before a crucial meeting on rezoning. But Mr Ablett says he can’t remember why.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A former Casey mayor whose bank balance was boosted by a multi-millionaire developer repeatedly failed to declare he was conflicted on key planning decisions.
Cr Geoff Ablett voted five times between February and September 2014 to support the rezoning of 200 hectares of industrial land in Cranbourne West for residential use.
He failed to declare that John Woodman, the developer representing the landowner, was a “friend” who had handed him thousands of dollars.
Records show that Cr Ablett’s bank account contained just $33 before Mr Woodman used a fake name to deposit $5000 cash in November 2013.
Without using a name, he added another $5000 on January 17 the following year when the account was overdrawn.
Quizzed on what the payments were for, Cr Ablett said he could not remember but he assumed it was to cover the cost of caring for a horse he co-owned with members of Mr Woodman’s family.
“I can only think it could be for the horse,” he said.
Counsel assisting the commission, Michael Tovey QC, pressed Cr Ablett on whether there could be any explanation “other than corruption” for the “Santa Claus payment”.
“I don’t believe there was any corruption involved,” Cr Ablett said.
“I don’t know why he did that (used a false name).”
Cr Ablett has been accused of receiving $330,000 in payments from Mr Woodman, as IBAC probes allegations of planning-related corruption at the council in Melbourne’s southeast.
He has denied being involved in corruption.
The payments came just weeks before the first motion appeared before Casey Council about the proposed rezoning of industrial land at Cranbourne West, later dubbed C219.
Cr Ablett said that he was not aware that Mr Woodman was involved in the rezoning bid when the motion appeared before council on February 4, 2014.
But the commission was shown an email that indicated Mr Woodman had previously spoken to Cr Ablett about the issue.
The email, dated February 3, 2014, forwarded a briefing note on the motion to the private addresses of councillors Sam Aziz and Amanda Stapledon and read: “Sam Amanda Geoff as discussed”.
“I don’t remember seeing the document,” Cr Ablett said.
The former mayor and Hawthorn premiership player later conceded that he had a “conversation” with Mr Woodman before the February 4 meeting, but claimed he did not realise the developer had an interest in the development and, therefore, did not declare a conflict of interest.
Cr Ablett said the discussion was on Mr Woodman’s “view on what should happen in Casey with that land”, and that he was “pushing” for the rezoning.
“I didn’t realise he had a financial interest,” he said.
He later added: “If I had known Mr Woodman was involved financially, I would not have been in the room.”
Just weeks after the motion, Mr Woodman paid $15,000 to clear Cr Ablett’s credit card debt ahead of his run for state parliament.
“I read somewhere where you had to be financially OK and I was concerned that having a credit card like that might put me out of a race,” Cr Ablett said.
“We had a good relationship with the horses and I said to him ‘would you help me?’
“I honestly believed he was a friend in the small circle that we worked in … he never said ‘if I do this, will you do this or that?’.
Cr Ablett said he had repaid Mr Woodman.
Cr Ablett’s was also grilled on his property and horse racing dealings with Mr Woodman, who agreed to pay $350,000 for a slice of the MountainView farm the councillor paid just $250,000 for.
The commission was also told that Mr Woodman paid Cr Ablett more than $150,000 over a decade to care for racehorses.
He was paid a “generous” $60,000 in 2018-19 to look after Prima Facie, a horse Mr Woodman owned a third share in that never made it to the track.
The payment equated to more than $1000 a week, the commission heard, despite “out-of-pocket” agistment and food costs only totalling $300 a week.
Cr Ablett also travelled Victoria in search for a filly for Mr Woodman to buy. A filly, with the paddock name Vera, was purchased for $5000 in July this year.
Mr Tovey said it was “patently ridiculous” that he would “genuinely paid $60,000 to do those things and nothing more”.
But Cr Ablett said the developer was “happy because (Prima Facie) was a top broodmare” that they would breed from.
Racing Victoria has been forced to respond to reports it had ordered bookies to audit the accounts of Cr Ablett and Mr Woodman, saying its integrity department regularly sought information on whether “there is or has been a threat to the integrity of the sport”.
“Where appropriate this includes requesting information from other parties, including wagering service providers, to ensurethat the integrity department are appropriately informed and can consider whether they need to proceed with a formal investigationor inquiry,” Racing Victoria said in a statement.
PREMIER’S PLANNING PRESSURE
The state Opposition is demanding Planning Minister Richard Wynne reject the planning amendment at the centre of an explosive anti-corruption inquiry.
Prior to last year’s state election, Mr Wynne deferred making a decision on the C219 amendment to rezone industrial land in Cranbourne West as residential land.
Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission hearings were told last month the rezoning — lobbied for by developer John Woodman — would increase the value of the land by more than $100 million.
Mr Wynne is waiting on a new industrial land strategy for Melbourne, which is not expected to be completed until the middle of next year, before deciding on the amendment.
MORE NEWS
PREMIER SILENT OVER MEETINGS WITH WOODMAN
TRESPASSER DIES AFTER FIGHT WITH RESIDENT
COULD THIS BE THE ANSWER TO CHADSTONE’S PARKING WOES?
Opposition planning spokesman Tim Smith said the “terrible revelations” about the behaviour of Casey councillors, as well as Mr Woodman’s widespread Labor donations, meant Mr Wynne needed to refuse the “tainted” proposal.
The Herald Sun revealed on Saturday that Mr Woodman had dined at least twice with Premier Daniel Andrews at Melbourne institution Flower Drum.
“Daniel Andrews and Richard Wynne must explain why they have failed to refuse this amendment since it passed Casey Council in May 2018,” Mr Smith said.
But a government spokeswoman said: “The amendment process has been entirely appropriate and a decision is yet to be made.”